Music is the Universal Language of Mankind
by Brown Eyes Parker
Summary: Josh and Maya bond over music and finds out that they have a lot in common. Day 3 in Joshaya Appreciation week.


**Music Is the Universal Language of Mankind**

 **A Josh & Maya Story**

 **By Brown Eyes Parker**

 **Author's Note: Obviously from the quote at the beginning of this story, the title comes from the American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I truly believe he was onto something when he wrote that.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Rated: K+**

 **.**

 **|| "Music is the universal language of mankind" ||**

 _Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_

"The Beatles?" Maya asked.

"Legendary! Who _doesn't_ like them?" Josh answered excitedly.

"I don't know anybody who doesn't like the Beatles," Maya answered."How about The Rolling Stones?"

"It depends. I actually really _love_ "Wild Horses" but other than that I could take them or leave them," Josh replied.

"Awwww!" Maya said. "I always knew you were a romantic! Okay, how about Simon & Garfunkel?"

"Their greatest hits album was one of my first records ever. I still listen to them digitally, I like to play "America" every single time I drive from Philly to here."

"Ah-ha! Then you must like. . ."

" _Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain. . ."_ Josh sang in reply.

"Fantastic! I knew you would know "Ventura Highway"!"

"One of the best songs _ever_ , if you ask me! I like to play _that_ while I'm driving to New York," Josh replied.

"Since you're a music lover then you must like to watch singing shows," Maya said.

Josh nodded. "Sometimes, I do. _The Voice_ is great even though they can't really produce a superstar in the way _American Idol_ could. But I really like Sawyer Fredericks from the spring season. . . if he had been around in the seventies. . ."

"I know what you mean, he would have _totally_ been a _people's_ singer! I loved his cover of "For What It's Worth"! If you liked Sawyer, you must like Ray LaMontagne," Maya said.

"I do. What about you?"

"Definitely. He sings with so much raw emotion. You just don't get that a lot from other singers today. "Jolene" is probably my favorite song by him," Maya answered.

"I take it you're _not_ a fan of One Direction or Justin Bieber then?"

"One Direction isn't that bad. . . but I'm not a _fan_ ," Maya said cautiously. "At least I'm not in the way Ava or Riley is. I only listen to them if I _have_ to."

Josh grinned. "I _knew_ you had good taste!"

"Well. I do my have guilty pleasures."

"Oh no!" Josh said. "Such as?"

"Taylor Swift."

"But she's a _decent_ songwriter, at least! I like her too. I can't say that I own every album that she's ever made but I definitely won't change her songs when they come on the radio and I have downloaded a few songs from _1989_. Okay, that wasn't so bad. Hit me, what are some of your _other_ guilty pleasures."

Maya hesitated for a second. "Okay, I might have a thing for. . . well, I _do_ have a thing for show tunes."

"Show tunes aren't _too_ bad either. There are some really good Broadway shows out there. Please tell me you like the good ones like _Les Miserables_ and _Finding Neverland_."

"I don't like _Legally Blonde, the Musical_ if that's what you mean!" Maya answered.

"That's exactly what I meant!" Josh replied. "I mean the movie is great but I don't think I could stand it as a musical."

"You mean you've never actually _heard_ any of the music?" Maya asked.

"No." Josh admitted. "Have you?"

"No. . . maybe we shouldn't actually form any opinions about it without listening to it first."

"Okay. Okay. I could try to get tickets to go and see it next weekend, if you'd like. . ." Josh suggested, almost hopefully.

He didn't know where it had come from but somewhere between the Beatles and _Legally Blonde_ , he realized he wanted to spend more time getting to know Maya.

"Well, it isn't like I have _plans_ this weekend," Maya told him, causing his whole body to tense up in excitement.

"Good, it's a date then!"

"What do you think about opera?" Maya asked, ignoring his statement.

" _Opera?"_ Josh looked confused. "But weren't we just talking about going to see a show?"

"Yeah! But I want to know your thoughts about opera!" Maya said.

"I actually enjoy it," Josh answered sheepishly. "What about you?"

"I've never actually seen a _real live_ performance. . . but I have a bunch of my grandmother's old opera recordings. I _love_ to listen to them over and over again," Maya admitted.

"Do you ever lip-sync to them?"

"Do you?" Maya asked, not knowing if he was teasing her or not.

"Oh no!" Josh shook his head. "I asked _you_ first, Miss Hart!"

She huffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Fine. I _may_ have pretended to be _Maria Callas_ or _Natalie Dessay_ a few times in my life. And I have been known to really get into _Renée Fleming_ recordings. Okay? Now you tell me, have _you_ ever lip-synced to opera?"

Josh grinned. "I _may_ have. . . a few times, if I was really feeling it. I have a great idea! One day when we're older and people won't think we're there to cause trouble, we should get dressed up and go to _the Met_ to see a real life performance. You're the first girl I've talked to who actually likes opera!"

"You're the first _boy_ that I've met who likes opera. So, I have to know. . . how do you feel about classical music?"

"It only set the foundation for all the other music we have today!" Josh answered enthusiastically.

Maya's face lit up. "I know, right!?"

"And movies wouldn't be the same without film scores."

"Very true. Imagine what the film industry would have been like without James Horner. . ." Maya said.

"Except the film industry _isn't_ going to have James Horner anymore."

"But they did for a while and it was wonderful."

"Yes, yes it was," Josh agreed. "And what about the others? Michael Giacchino? James Newton Howard? Thomas Newman? Leonard Bernstein? Henry Mancini?"

"Hans Zimmer, John Barry, Rachel Portman, Vangelis," Maya added.

" _Chariots of Fire_ definitely would not have been the same without Vangelis," Josh answered.

"John Williams because his themes are so recognizable in everything he does."

"You can't even deny that thrill of excitement whenever one of his compositions begins to play. You know something amazing is going to happen."

"And it usually does."

They both sighed in unison and then smiled at each other a little abashedly.

Maya cleared her throat and wound a strand of blonde hair around her pointer finger. You know, we haven't even touched the standards yet."

"Frank Sinatra," Josh answered automatically.

"Any New Yorker worth their salt _loves_ Frank Sinatra," Maya agreed. "But there _are_ others Josh, not just _Old Blue Eyes_."

Josh thought for a moment and nodded. "Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra. . ."

"You already _said_ Frank Sinatra," Maya reminded him.

"But he's worth mentioning a second time. Maybe he's even worth mentioning a _third_ time!" Josh answered.

Maya laughed. "Fair enough. What about some of the newer guys who cover the standards?"

"Michael Bublé," Josh answered automatically. "At least he's _my_ favorite. What about you?"

Maya nodded in agreement. "He's pretty much my favorite too."

There was a long pause and Josh realized he didn't want the conversation to end. He wanted to know more about Maya's tastes in music. He thought for a little longer and then put his hand on her's to keep her in place.

"Tell me about your favorite British artists. . ." he requested. "Tell me about all the songs that make you feel something, _anything_. . ."

Maya smiled and nodded. "Okay. But in exchange you have to tell me about _your's_."

Josh wouldn't have had it any other way.

 **_The End_**

 **.**

 **Author's Note II:**

 **At first this was only going to be dialogue. In fact, when I first saw the prompt** _ **Josh & Maya talk about music**_ **it was the way the story played out in my head. But I am never good at writing just dialogue. So, of course it morphed into this. It didn't exactly end the way I wanted it to but the bones of the story are still in place, I set out to have Josh and Maya bond over music and they did. Whatever happens next is up to you. . . my wonderful readers. There are SO many wonderful artists and songs that I left out of this story that I wanted to add but couldn't find a place for. Honorable mentions include but aren't exclusive to** _ **Coldplay,**_ _ **Sleeping At Last, MSMR, Celine Dion, Tom Petty, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Michael Bay, She & Him, Echosmith, **_**"Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" by Frankie Valley & the Four Seasons, "Days and Days" from the musical **_**Fun Home**_ **and "What You Mean To Me" from** _ **Finding Neverland, the Musical**_ **. . . but** _ **that**_ **has made a couple of appearances in "Casual Observers" and I** _ **did**_ **mention the musical.**

 **I'll be back again tomorrow with another story. Until then, please tell me what you thought of this one.**

 **Love,**

 **Holly, 11/11/2015_**


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